Find the Hound! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dalmatian

Dalmatians are Utility dogs. During the Regency period they became status symbols for running alongside carriages. They were also trained to run ahead of horse-drawn fire engines to clear the streets - sort of a visible siren. There is doubt whether the breed actually originated from the area Dalmatia, but if you know how to spell the area, you will remember not to spell it dalmation! Not surprisingly, the Dalmatian is a breed that needs a lot of exercise. Dalmatians are spotted dogs.

Answer: German shepherd

The German shepherd is in the Pastoral (Herding(!)) Group. After WWI, following anti-German feeling in the UK renamed it the Alsatian until the name officially changed back in 1977. There is a lot of controvesy over whether a modern German shepherd dog is a healthy shape. Given how long it took them to change the name back, do not expect a swift resolution.

In 2020 the GSD (a popular abbreviation in English-speaking countries) was the second most popular dog breed registered with the US. The Kennel Club's last published list was 2010, when the GSD was fourth.

As a herder, this dog also requires a lot of exercise. Alsace was a disputed region between France and Germany, and has belonged at various times to both.

Answer: Boston terrier

The Boston terrier is in the Utility group. The vast majority of terriers were originally bred in the UK, however, the Boston terrier is a genuine 'Yankee Doodle Dandy', originating in Boston, Massachusetts in approximately 1875 (indeed, it is the Massachusetts state dog).

It rapidly became the second most popular dog in the US in the 1900s, attaining the top spot in the 1910s - the first time a 'small companion dog' had done this. Sadly, in 2020, they did not even finish in the top ten. It would be a shame if the breed continued to decline in popularity, as the nickname 'The American Gentleman' is well deserved, and if you research the breed, you will often find it described as 'the perfect dog'. Last summer, I was lucky enough to look after a beautiful Boston terrier puppy named 'Luna' and you can be sure my future will include a Boston terrier.

Answer: Afghan hound

The Afghan hound is, unsurprisingly, in the Hound group. The beautiful long, fine silky coat was developed in his home in the mountains of Afghanistan, where they were hunting dogs. Apparently dogs from other regions of Afghanistan have different length coats.

As well as needing over two hours exercise a day according to the Kennel Club, an Afghan also involves a considerable amount of grooming commitment. A friend of mine, in the 1970s, once followed what he thought were two beautiful blondes in an open top sports car, only to discover at a traffic light that they were a blonde, long-haired chap and his Afghan hound. Qandahar is one of the main cities of Afghanistan.

Answer: papillon

The papillon is in the Toy group. The beautiful 'butterfly dog' was Crufts 'Best in Show' in 2019. It gets the name from the impression that the long and fringe-haired ears resemble the wings of a butterfly. The papillon has another variety with dropped ears, the phalene. Pleasingly appropriately, the phalene is known as 'the moth dog'.

Although they do not need more than 30 minutes of exercise, papillons must be groomed more than twice a week. Belgium is a country where voting is compulsory, and Wallonia is the area where they speak French. Papillon is French for butterfly.

Answer: poodle

The poodle comes in three sizes, standard, miniature and toy. All three poodles are in the Utility group. The standard is the original, the other two were developed from it. It is believed to have originally been bred in Germany as a duck hunter, but a dispute still exists between the French and the Germans as to where the breed originated.

The 'continental' clip is believed to have evolved from the measures taken to protect the dogs' vital organs and joints, to free up the dogs' faces, help them float and to keep fur out of the dogs' eyes.

However, having seen pictures from the 17th and 18th centuries of poodles (which both showed evidence of having been clipped), I feel confident that they would not recognise a show poodle today! Poodles must be groomed every day.

Although they do not shed, without daily grooming their hair will mat.

Answer: black and tan coonhound

The breed group is Hound. Admitted in 2018, the American black and tan coonhound became the 221st breed recognised by the Kennel Club. The name reflects what they were bred to do - hunt raccoons, but they can and will take on opponents up to the size of a bear. The expression 'barking up the wrong tree' comes from the behaviour of these dogs.

Answer: Lancashire heeler

The breed group is Pastoral. The breed was supposedly originally bred from a Welsh corgi and a Manchester terrier, in order to drive cattle. They are lively and intelligent small dogs. Lancashire hotpot is a popular regional dish in the U.K., but I'd take Cairns! They are a vulnerable native breed.

Answer: Weimaraner

This breed is part of the Gundog group. A picture of a dog of this type appears in a Van Dyke painting of the 16th century, but it was developed as a hunting dog for the nobility at the court of Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar in the 19th century. Up until after WW2, ownership was only in such an exclusive club that non-members were only allowed neutered dogs. Post WW2, US President Dwight Eisenhower owned a Weimaraner called Heidi.

She had the distinction of being the only pet ever barred from the White House after having an accident on a $20,000 rug in the diplomatic reception room. That was $20,000 in the late fifties.

A large dog, they need over two hours exercise a day. Their nickname is the grey ghost.

Answer: basenji

A basenji belongs in the Hound breed group. Many (although not Pharaoh hound owners!) believe that the basenji was the breed pictured on the tombs of the Pharaohs. Recent DNA testing revealed that the Pharaoh hound originated in Malta, but I see the Kennel Club is now still giving the Pharaoh hound credit on the tombs, the dogs having travelled there with Phoenician sailors.

The basenji gets 'bears a resemblance to...'. You get that sort of thing all the time in the pedigree dog world. What is not disputed is that the basenji originally came from central Africa.

Their name means some sort of dog in a couple of languages. Interesting recent DNA reveals that the basenji and the dingo are both basal dogs - meaning (in simple terms) that they are very near the top of the family tree (which they can climb!). An unusual larynx shape means that the basenji cannot bark like a normal dog.

They are, however, very vocal, with a repertoire ranging from a single 'woof' to screams and yodels. You may think that the above question, unlike the others in this quiz, contains no clue as to the dog's identity.

Not so, a basenji is one of the only dogs that would eat a vital part of a yacht if left alone for a while!